Container with improved magnetic closure

ABSTRACT

A hinge lid container ( 100 ) for consumer articles comprises a box portion ( 102 ) formed from a blank having a thickness (T) and defining a front wall of the box portion ( 102 ); a lid portion ( 104 ); and an inner frame ( 108 ) received within the box portion ( 102 ). A portion of an inner frame front wall ( 110 ) extends beyond an upper edge of the box portion front wall. A magnetic closure comprising a first magnetic material ( 200 ) is provided on an inner surface of the lid portion ( 104 ). A second magnetic material ( 202 ) is provided on the inner frame front wall ( 110 ). The first and second magnetic materials ( 200, 202 ) overlap when the lid portion ( 104 ) is in the closed position to magnetically retain the lid portion in the closed position. The second magnetic material ( 202 ) is a flexible magnetic laminar material applied on the outer surface of the inner frame front wall ( 110 ) such 102 that the outer surface of the flexible magnetic laminar material is horizontally offset from the outer surface of the box portion front wall by a distance substantially corresponding to the thickness (T) of the blank.

The present invention relates to a container for consumer goods and to a blank for forming such container, which find particular application for holding elongate consumer goods, such as smoking articles (for example, cigarettes).

Smoking articles are typically packaged in rigid hinge lid containers formed from folded laminar blanks. By way of example, elongate smoking articles, such as cigarettes and cigars, are often sold in rigid box-shaped containers, such as hinge lid containers having a box portion and a lid connected to the box about a hinge line extending across the back wall of the container. In use, the lid is pivoted about the hinge line to open the pack and so gain access to the consumer articles held in the box. In practice, in order to access the smoking articles or other consumer goods, a consumer typically holds the box portion in one hand and uses the other hand to pivot the lid portion about the hinge line and to remove a smoking article from the box portion.

Such packs are typically constructed from one-piece laminar cardboard blanks. In some cases, the container further comprises a reinforcement inner frame at least partly wrapped around the consumer articles. This may provide further rigidity to the container and protect the consumer articles. Further, when the lid is in the closed position, an inner frame extending beyond the upper edge of the box front wall makes it easier for the lid front wall to align with the box front wall, such that the container presents to the consumer a substantially flat front surface.

Hinge lid containers may sometimes suffer from problems such as the lid and the box portion not aligning correctly due to distortion of the lid, such that a gap becomes visible on the front of the container between the lid and the box portion. This is sometimes referred to as “smiling” effect. The degree to which smiling occurs usually increases with extended use of the package.

This has often been addressed by having the lid frictionally engage a surface of the inner frame. However, this type of mechanism may become unreliable after repeated opening and closing of the container, because the inner frame surfaces engaging the lid may also undergo distortion or wear.

As an alternative, it has been proposed in WO 2014/096427 to apply a magnetic composition on the front surface of the inner frame and on the inner surface of the lid. This provides a hinge lid container with a magnetic closure that may reliably maintain the lid in the closed position, even after repeated opening and closing of the container. In particular, WO 2014/096427 discloses applying a magnetic composition (for example, a magnetic ink) by techniques such as gravure printing, offset printing, flexographic printing, lithographic printing, screen printing, slot die coating, roll coating or reverse roll coating, knife-over-roll gravure and reverse direct gravure, wire rod coating, air-knife coating, or slot-orifice coating.

In order to ensure a sufficient magnetic force, however, a significant amount of the magnetic composition has to be used. To achieve this, the magnetic composition needs to be applied in a multi-pass process to form superimposed layers, so that a coating of a sufficient thickness is formed.

Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a container with improved means for retaining the container in a closed state. Further, it would be desirable to provide one such container that may be assembled and filled using conventional high speed methods without requiring any major modification of existing packing apparatus. In addition, it would be desirable to provide a method of forming one such improved container for consumer goods.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a container for consumer articles. The container comprises a box portion at least partially formed from a blank having a thickness (T), the blank defining a front wall of the box portion; a lid portion depending along a hinge line from a back wall of the box portion, wherein the lid portion is moveable about the hinge line between an open position, in which consumer goods can be removed from the container, and a closed position, in which consumer goods cannot be removed from the container; and an inner frame received within the box portion, the inner frame comprising an inner frame front wall wherein a portion of the frame front wall extends beyond an upper edge of the front wall of the box portion. Further, the container comprises a magnetic closure comprising a first magnetic material provided on an inner surface of the lid portion and a second magnetic material provided on the inner frame front wall, wherein the first and second magnetic materials are arranged to overlap when the lid portion is in the closed position so that the magnetic closure releasably retains the lid portion in the closed position. The second magnetic material is a flexible magnetic laminar material applied on the outer surface of the inner frame front wall such that the outer surface of the flexible magnetic laminar material is horizontally offset from the outer surface of the front wall of the box portion by a distance substantially corresponding to the thickness (T) of the blank.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of forming a container for consumer goods. The method comprises: providing first and second laminar blanks, the first laminar blank having a thickness (T); applying a first magnetic material on the first laminar blank; applying a second magnetic laminar material on the second laminar blank; and folding the first and second laminar blanks to form first and second folded blanks, the folded blanks co-operating to form a container comprising a compartment for receiving consumer goods. The method further comprises inserting the second folded blank within the first folded blank, such that at least a portion of the first folded blank is moveable relative to the second folded blank between a closed position in which consumer goods cannot be removed from the compartment and an open position in which consumer goods can be removed from the compartment. The first magnetic material is applied on the moveable portion and wherein the first magnetic material and the flexible magnetic laminar material are arranged to overlap when the moveable portion is in the closed position, so that the first magnetic material and the flexible magnetic laminar material form a magnetic closure that releasably retains the moveable portion in the closed position. In addition, the second magnetic material is a flexible magnetic laminar material applied on the second laminar blank before the second laminar blank is folded and received within the first folded blank, such that, in the assembled container, the outer surface of the flexible magnetic laminar material is offset from the outer surface of the first folded blank by a distance substantially corresponding to the thickness (T) of the blank.

It shall be appreciated that any features described with reference to one aspect of the present invention are equally applicable to any other aspect of the invention.

In contrast to known containers, in hinge lid containers according to the present invention a magnetic closure is provided by combining a magnetic material applied on a surface of the lid with a flexible magnetic laminar material applied on the outer surface of the inner frame front wall. In more detail, a portion of the flexible magnetic laminar material is comprised between the inner surface of the box front wall and the outer surface of the inner frame front wall. In other words, the flexible magnetic laminar material is applied on the outer surface of the inner frame front wall such that the outer surface of the flexible magnetic laminar material is horizontally offset from the outer surface of the front wall of the box portion by a distance substantially corresponding to the thickness (T) of the blank. From a manufacturing point of view, this means that the flexible magnetic laminar material is applied onto the blank for forming the inner frame before the inner frame blank is folded and inserted into the box portion of the container. Accordingly, in the assembled container, at least a portion of the magnetic laminar material is comprised between the outer surface of the inner frame front wall and the inner surface of the box front wall.

According to the present invention, it is easy to form a container having a magnetic closure that provides a reliable means for maintaining the lid in the closed position, even after repeated opening and closing of the container. In addition, the magnetic materials can be applied with minimal or no modification to existing blanks, such that existing apparatus can conveniently be used to form containers according to the present invention.

In particular, the combination of a layer of a magnetic material, for example a layer applied by printing with a magnetic ink, with a flexible magnetic laminar material, such as a flexible magnetic tape, provides a magnetic force that is sufficient for reliably retaining the lid in the closed position.

Further, because the magnetic surface defined by the outer surface of the flexible magnetic laminar material is offset, with respect to the outer surface of the box front wall by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the blank portion forming the box front wall, when in the closed position, front wall of the lid can easily align with the box front wall while fully covering the magnetic materials. This contributes to minimising the visual impact of the first and second magnetic materials provided on the container. At the same time, the container presents to the user a substantially flat front surface and the ingress of dust or other small particles into the container is advantageously prevented.

As used herein, the terms “front”, “back”, “upper”, “lower”, “top”, “bottom”, “horizontal”, “horizontally”, “vertical”, “vertically” and “side”, refer to the relative positions of portions of containers according to the invention and components thereof when the container is in an upright position with the lid of the outer housing in the closed position and the hinge line at the back of the container. When describing containers according to the present invention, these terms are used irrespective of the orientation of the container being described. The back wall of the container is the wall comprising the hinge line.

The term “inner surface” is used throughout the specification to refer to the side of a portion of the blank that, once the container is assembled, faces towards the interior of the container, for example towards the consumer goods, when the container is in the closed position. The term “outer surface” is used throughout the specification to refer to the side of a portion of the blank that, once the container is assembled, faces towards the exterior of the container.

The term “magnetic material” is used throughout the specification to describe a material which is able to interact with a magnetic field, including both paramagnetic and ferromagnetic materials. A magnetisable material may be a paramagnetic material, such that it only remains magnetised in the presence of an external magnetic field. Alternatively, a magnetisable material may be a material which becomes magnetised in the presence of an external magnetic filed and which remains magnetised after the external field is removed (a ferromagnetic material, for example). The term “magnetic material” as used herein encompasses both types of magnetisable material, as well as material which is already magnetised.

In its most general terms a hinge lid container in accordance with the present invention comprises a box portion that is at least partially formed from a laminar blank having a thickness (T), a lid portion, and a magnetic closure. The magnetic closure comprises a first magnetic material provided on an inner surface of the lid portion and a second magnetic material provided on the inner frame front wall. The first and second magnetic materials are arranged to overlap when the lid portion is in the closed position, so that the magnetic closure releasably retains the lid portion in the closed position. The second magnetic material is provided as a flexible magnetic laminar material applied on the outer surface of the inner frame front wall, such that the outer surface of the flexible magnetic laminar material is horizontally offset from the outer surface of the front wall of the box portion by a distance substantially corresponding to the thickness (T) of the laminar blank.

Preferably, the lid portion comprises a lid front wall and a lid flap depending from the lid front wall along an edge fold line, the lid flap being folded inward towards the inner surface of the front lid wall, the first magnetic material being applied on the outer surface of the lid flap. This is advantageous in that it increases the stiffness of the lid, while at the same time improving the finish and appearance of the front of the container.

In some preferred embodiments, the first magnetic material comprises a magnetisable material. Even more preferably, the magnetisable material is unmagnetised. During the manufacturing process, such as during the step of applying the first magnetic material to the lid portion blank, the first magnetic material may advantageously be unmagnetised to prevent undesired attraction of the magnetic material to external ferromagnetic materials (production apparatus, for example). After the unmagnetised first magnetic material has been applied to the blank, it is subsequently magnetised to form the magnetic closure.

Preferably, the first magnetic material comprises at least 30 percent by weight, more preferably at least 50 percent by weight, even more preferably at least 70 percent by weight of one of barium ferrite, strontium ferrite, cobalt ferrite, and a rare earth cobalt (samarium pentacobalt, praseodymium pentacobalt, yttrium pentacobalt, lanthanum pentacobalt, and cerium-pentacobalt, for example) or combinations thereof. In addition, or as an alternative, the first magnetic material preferably comprises less than 95 percent by weight, more preferably less than 90 percent by weight and even more preferably less than 80 percent by weight of one of barium ferrite, strontium ferrite, cobalt ferrite, and a rare earth cobalt (samarium pentacobalt, praseodymium pentacobalt, yttrium pentacobalt, lanthanum pentacobalt, and cerium-pentacobalt, for example) or combinations thereof.

Other suitable materials include manganese-bismuth and manganese-aluminium.

For ease of manufacture, the first magnetic material is preferably applied directly onto the first blank using a suitable application process, such as a printing process or an extrusion coating process. For example, the first magnetic material may be applied using gravure printing, offset printing, flexographic printing, lithographic printing, screen printing, slot die coating, roll coating or reverse roll coating, knife-over-roll gravure and reverse direct gravure, wire rod coating, air-knife coating, or slot-orifice coating.

The second magnetic material has preferably a thickness of between about 0.1 milimetres and about 0.4 milimetres. Advantageously, layers of magnetic material having a thickness within this range are thick enough to provide sufficient magnetic field strength for an effective closure, whilst remaining thin enough to eliminate the need for significant modification to existing container designs.

Preferably, the flexible magnetic laminar material is a flexible magnetic tape. The flexible magnetic laminar material preferably has a thickness of less than about 2 mm. More preferably, the flexible magnetic laminar material has a thickness of less than about 1.5 mm. Even more preferably, the flexible magnetic laminar material has a thickness of less than about 1 mm. In addition, or as an alternative, the flexible magnetic material preferably has a thickness of at least about 0.1 mm. More preferably, the flexible magnetic material has a thickness of at least about more preferably at least about 0.3 mm. Even more preferably, the flexible magnetic material has a thickness of at least about 0.5 mm.

Preferably, the second magnetic material comprises at least 30 percent by weight, preferably at least 40 percent by weight, of one of barium ferrite, strontium ferrite, cobalt ferrite, and a rare earth cobalt (samarium pentacobalt, praseodymium pentacobalt, yttrium pentacobalt, lanthanum pentacobalt, and cerium-pentacobalt, for example) or combinations thereof.

In addition, or as an alternative, the second magnetic material comprises less than 70 percent by weight, even more preferably less than 60 percent by weight of one of barium ferrite, strontium ferrite, cobalt ferrite, and a rare earth cobalt (samarium pentacobalt, praseodymium pentacobalt, yttrium pentacobalt, lanthanum pentacobalt, and cerium-pentacobalt, for example) or combinations thereof.

Other suitable materials include manganese-bismuth and manganese-aluminium.

Containers according to the present invention find application as containers for consumer goods, in particular elongate consumer goods such as smoking articles. However, they can also be used for several other types of consumer goods.

Each blank may be formed from any suitable material or combination of materials, including, but not limited to, cardboard, paperboard, plastic, metal, or combinations thereof. Preferably, the blank is a laminar cardboard blank having a weight of between about 100 grams per square metre and about 350 grams per square metre. Preferably, the thickness (T) of the blank is at least about 200 micrometres.

The container may optionally comprise an outer wrapper, which is preferably a transparent polymeric film of, for example, high or low density polyethylene, polypropylene, oriented polypropylene, polyvinylidene chloride, cellulose film, or combinations thereof and the outer wrapper is applied in a conventional manner. The outer wrapper may include a tear tape. In addition, the outer wrapper may be printed with images, consumer information or other data.

Further, the consumer articles may be provided within the container in the form of a bundle wrapped in an inner package formed of metal foil or metallised paper. The inner package material may be formed as a laminate of a metallised polyethylene film, and a liner material. The liner material may be a super-calendered glassine paper. In addition, the inner package material may be provided with a print-receptive top coating. The inner package has an access opening through which consumer goods can be removed when a lid of the container is in a respective open position.

The container is preferably a rectangular parallelepiped comprising two wider walls spaced apart by two narrower walls. Hinge lid containers according to the invention may be in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, with right-angled longitudinal and right-angled transverse edges. Alternatively, the hinge lid container may comprise one or more rounded longitudinal edges, rounded transverse edges, bevelled longitudinal edges or bevelled transverse edges, or combinations thereof. For example, the hinge lid container according to the invention may comprise, without limitation:

One or two longitudinal rounded edges on the front wall, and/or one or two longitudinal rounded or bevelled edges on the back wall.

One or two transverse rounded edges on the front wall, and/or one or two transverse rounded or bevelled edges on the back wall.

One longitudinal rounded edge and one longitudinal bevelled edge on the front wall, and/or one transverse rounded edge and one transverse bevelled edge on the back wall.

One or two transverse rounded or bevelled edges on the front wall and one or two longitudinal rounded or bevelled edges on the front wall.

Two longitudinal rounded or bevelled edges on a first side wall or two transverse rounded or bevelled edges on the second side wall.

Where the container comprises one or more bevelled edge, preferably the bevelled edge has a width of between about 1 mm and about 10 mm, preferably between about 2 and about 6 mm. Alternatively, the container may comprise a multi-bevelled edge formed by parallel creasing or scoring lines that are spaced such that two or more distinct bevels are formed on at least one edge of the container.

Alternatively, the container may have a non-rectangular transversal cross section, for example polygonal such as triangular or hexagonal, semi-oval or semi-circular.

Containers according to the invention find particular application as packs for elongate smoking articles such as, for example, cigarettes, cigars or cigarillos. It will be appreciated that through appropriate choices of the dimensions thereof, containers according to the invention may be designed for different numbers of conventional size, king size, super-king size, slim or super-slim cigarettes. Alternatively, other consumer goods may be housed inside the container.

Through an appropriate choice of the dimensions, containers according to the invention may be designed to hold different total numbers of smoking articles, or different arrangements of smoking articles. For example, through an appropriate choice of the dimensions, containers according to the invention may be designed to hold a total of between ten and thirty smoking articles.

The smoking articles may be arranged in different collations, depending on the total number of smoking articles.

Containers according to the present invention may hold smoking articles of the same type or brand, or of different types or brands. In addition, both filter-less smoking articles and smoking articles with various filter tips may be contained, as well as smoking articles of differing length (for example, between about 40 mm and about 180 mm), diameter (for example, between about 4 mm and about 9 mm). Preferably, the dimensions of the container are adapted to the length of the smoking articles, and the collation of the smoking articles. Typically, the outer dimensions of the container are between about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm larger than the dimensions of the bundle or bundles of smoking articles housed inside the container.

The length, width and depth of containers according to the invention may be such that the resultant overall dimensions of the container are similar to the dimensions of a typical disposable pack of twenty cigarettes.

Preferably, containers according to the invention have a height of between about 60 mm and about 150 mm, more preferably a height of between about 70 mm and about 125 mm, wherein the height is measured from the bottom wall to the top wall of the container.

Preferably, containers according to the invention have a width of between about 12 mm and about 150 mm, more preferably a width of between about 70 mm and about 125 mm, wherein the width is measured from one side wall to the other side wall of the container.

Preferably, containers according to the invention have a depth of between about 6 mm and about 150 mm, more preferably a depth of between about 12 mm and about 25 mm wherein the depth is measured from the front wall to the back wall of the container.

Preferably, the ratio of the height of the container to the depth of the container is in between about 0.3 to 1 and about 10 to 1, more preferably between about 2 to 1 and about 8 to 1, most preferably between about 3 to 1 and 5 to 1

Preferably, the ratio of the width of the container to the depth of the container is in between about 0.3 to 1 and about 10 to 1, more preferably between about 2 to 1 and about 8 to 1, most preferably between about 2 to 1 and 3 to 1.

Preferably, the ratio of the height of the lid back wall to the height of the box back wall of the outer sleeve is between about 0 to 1 (lid located at the top edge of the container) to about 1 to 1, more preferably, between about 1 to 5 and about 1 to 10, most preferably, between about 1 to 6 to about 1 to 8.

Preferably, the ratio of the height of the lid front wall of the outer sleeve to the height of the box front wall of the outer sleeve is between about 1 to 0 (lid covering the entire front wall) to about 1 to 10, more preferably, between about 1 to 1 and about 1 to 5, most preferably, between about 1 to 2 and about 1 to 3.

The exterior surfaces of containers according to the invention may be printed, embossed, debossed or otherwise embellished with manufacturer or brand logos, trade marks, slogans and other consumer information and indicia.

A container according to the present invention may be formed by providing first and second laminar blanks, the first laminar blank having a thickness (T); applying a first magnetic material on the first laminar blank; applying a second magnetic laminar material on the second laminar blank; and folding the first and second laminar blanks to form first and second folded blanks, the folded blanks co-operating to form a container comprising a compartment for receiving consumer goods; inserting the second folded blank within the first folded blank, such that at least a portion of the first folded blank is moveable relative to the second folded blank between a closed position in which consumer goods cannot be removed from the compartment and an open position in which consumer goods can be removed from the compartment. The first magnetic material is applied on the moveable portion and wherein the first magnetic material and the flexible magnetic laminar material are arranged to overlap when the moveable portion is in the closed position, so that the first magnetic material and the flexible magnetic laminar material form a magnetic closure that releasably retains the moveable portion in the closed position. Further, the second magnetic material is a flexible magnetic laminar material applied on the second laminar blank before the second laminar blank is folded and received within the first folded blank, such that, in the assembled container, the outer surface of the flexible magnetic laminar material is offset from the outer surface of the first folded blank by a distance substantially corresponding to the thickness (T) of the blank.

This is advantageous in that the flexible magnetic laminar material can be applied on the second laminar blank well before a container is assembled and filled with consumer materials. The flexible magnetic laminar material may for example be applied on the second laminar blank at a different facility. As an alternative, flexible magnetic laminar material may be applied on the second laminar blank at the same facility where the container is assembled and filled with consumer articles. Advantageously, the second laminar blank may be provided by cutting through a strip of laminar blank material upon which the flexible magnetic laminar material has been applied. The strip may be stored wound in a reel or bobbin, and by the cutting operation each blank for forming an inner frame may be separated from neighbouring inner frame blanks.

Preferably, the step of applying the first magnetic material on the first laminar blank comprises applying the magnetic material on the laminar blank using gravure printing, offset printing, flexographic printing, lithographic printing, screen printing, slot die coating, roll coating or reverse roll coating, knife-over-roll gravure and reverse direct gravure, wire rod coating, air-knife coating, or slot-orifice coating.

In some embodiments of the method, the first magnetic material comprises a magnetisable material, and the magnetisable material is unmagnetised during the applying step.

Preferably, the method further comprises a step of, after the folding step, magnetising the first magnetisable material to form a permanent magnet.

In some preferred embodiments, the method further comprises a step of printing at least one ink onto the first magnetic material after the applying step.

The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings of the accompanying Figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts a schematic perspective view of a container in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 depicts a schematic side cross-sectional view of the container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 depicts a schematic top view of a strip of continuous blank material from which inner frames for a container according to the present invention may be cut; and

FIG. 4 depicts a schematic top view of a blank for forming the box and lid portions of a container in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a container 100 that is rectangular parallelepipedal in shape and comprises a box portion 102 and a hinge lid 104 connected to the box portion along a hinge line 106 extending across the back wall of the container 100. The overall size and construction of the box and lid of the container are substantially the same as those of a standard hinge lid cigarette pack. The box portion 102 comprises a box front wall, a box back wall, a box bottom wall, a box left side wall and a box right side wall. The hinge lid 104 comprises a lid front wall, a lid back wall, a lid top wall, a lid left side wall and a lid left side wall. The hinge lid 104 is pivotable about the hinge line 106 between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position, the hinge lid 104 covers an access opening of the container and the walls of the hinge lid form extensions of the corresponding walls of the box portion 102. In the open position (illustrated in FIG. 1), the hinge lid 104 pivots about the hinge line 106 to project backwardly from the box portion 102 and the access opening at the top end of the box portion 102 may be fully uncovered. The box portion 102 and the hinge lid 104 may be formed together from a single laminar blank having a thickness T. The container 100 may be assembled from the laminar blank and filled using standard apparatus.

Further, the container 100 comprises an inner frame 108 received within the box portion 102. The inner frame 108 comprises an inner frame front wall 110, a portion of which extends beyond an upper edge of the front wall of the box portion 102.

In addition, the container 100 comprises a magnetic closure comprising a first magnetic material 200 provided on an inner surface of the hinge lid 104 and a second magnetic material 202 provided on the inner frame front wall 110. The first and second magnetic materials 200, 202 are arranged to overlap when the hinge lid 104 is in the closed position, so that the magnetic closure releasably retains the hinge lid 104 in the closed position.

The second magnetic material 202 is a flexible magnetic laminar material applied on the outer surface of the inner frame front wall 110, such as a flexible magnetic tape. Thus, the outer surface of the flexible magnetic laminar material is horizontally offset from the outer surface of the front wall of the box portion by a distance substantially corresponding to the thickness T of the blank.

The first magnetic material 200 comprises a magnetisable material and has a thickness of about 20 microns. Further the second magnetic material 202 comprises at least 30 percent by weight of at least one of barium ferrite, strontium ferrite, cobalt ferrite, and a rare earth cobalt, and has a thickness of about 0.2 milimetres. The second magnetic material is magnetized for the first time on the packing machine.

A container according to the present invention may be formed by providing a first laminar blank for forming the box and hinge lid portions and a second laminar blank for forming the inner frame. The first laminar blank has a predetermined thickness T. A first magnetic material is applied on the first laminar blank and a second magnetic laminar material is applied on the second laminar blank. The first and second laminar blanks are folded to form the box and lid and the inner frame, respectively, and the inner frame is inserted within the first folded blank. The container thus formed may then be filled with a plurality of smoking articles.

The second laminar blank may be cut from the strip 300 of laminar blank material depicted in FIG. 3. A band of flexible magnetic laminar material 302 is provided on the strip 300, well before a container according to the present invention is assembled. One such strip may then be wound in a reel or bobbin and stored. When needed, the strip may be unwound and, by a cutting operation, blanks for forming inner frames of containers according to the present invention may conveniently be separated from neighbouring inner frame blanks.

FIG. 4 is a view of a first laminar blank 400 for forming a container for consumer goods according to the invention. In FIG. 1, solid lines indicate cut lines and dashed lines indicate fold lines. The blank 400 comprises a box blank portion 402 for forming the box portion of the container and a lid blank portion 404 for forming a lid portion of a container according to the invention. The box blank portion 402 depends from the lid blank portion 404 along the hinge line 403.

The box blank portion 402 comprises a front wall panel 408, a rear wall panel 412 and a bottom wall panel 409. Two side wall panels 410 extend from front wall panel 408, two side wall panels 411 extend from rear wall panel 412, and two box dust flaps 413 extend from side wall panels 411. When the box portion of the container is assembled from the box blank portion 401, the front wall panel 408 forms the container front wall, the rear wall panel 412 forms the container rear wall, the side wall panels 410, 411 overlap to form left and right side container walls, and the box dust flaps 413 overlap the bottom wall panel 409 to form the container bottom wall. The side wall panels 410, 411 are substantially the same size and shape as each other. When the container is formed, the side wall panels 410, 411 directly overlie each other with their free edges substantially aligned, such that the inner side wall panel is barely visible. The box dust flaps 413 are smaller than the bottom wall panel 409. When the container is formed, the box dust flaps 413 lie inside the bottom wall panel 409. They provide additional structural support for the container bottom wall of the container but are not visible from the outside of the container.

The lid blank portion 404 comprises a front wall panel 414, a rear wall panel 418 and a top wall panel 420. Two side wall panels 416 extend from the front wall panel 414, two side wall panels 417 extend from the rear wall panel 418, and lid dust flaps 419 extend from the side wall panels 417. When the lid portion of the container is assembled from the lid blank portion 402, the front wall panel 414 forms the container front wall, the rear wall panel 418 forms the container rear wall, the side wall panels 416, 417 overlap to form right and left container side walls, and the lid dust flaps 419 overlap top wall panel 420 to form the lid top wall. The side wall panels 416, 417 are substantially the same size and shape as each other. When the container is formed, the panels 416, 417 directly overlie each other with their free edges substantially aligned, such that the inner side wall panel is barely visible. The lid dust flaps 419 are smaller than the top wall panel 420. When the container is formed, the lid dust flaps 419 lie inside the top wall panel 420. They provide additional structural support for the container (lid) top wall, but are not visible from the outside of the container.

The blank 400 can be fed into a conventional packing machine for forming a parallelepiped hinged lid container. In particular, the front wall panel 414 of the lid blank portion 404 is for forming a lid front wall of the assembled container. The lid blank portion 404 further comprises a lid flap panel 425 depending from the front wall panel 414 along an edge fold line 426. A first magnetic material 430 is applied on the first laminar blank 400 over a portion of the lid flap panel 425 by gravure printing. 

1. A container for consumer articles, the container comprising: a box portion at least partially formed from a blank having a thickness (T), the blank defining a front wall of the box portion; a lid portion depending along a hinge line from a back wall of the box portion, wherein the lid portion is moveable about the hinge line between an open position, in which consumer goods can be removed from the container, and a closed position, in which consumer goods cannot be removed from the container; an inner frame received within the box portion, the inner frame comprising an inner frame front wall wherein a portion of the frame front wall extends beyond an upper edge of the front wall of the box portion; a magnetic closure comprising a first magnetic material provided on an inner surface of the lid portion and a second magnetic material provided on the inner frame front wall, wherein the first and second magnetic materials are arranged to overlap when the lid portion is in the closed position so that the magnetic closure releasably retains the lid portion in the closed position; wherein the second magnetic material is a flexible magnetic laminar material applied on the outer surface of the inner frame front wall such that the outer surface of the flexible magnetic laminar material is horizontally offset from the outer surface of the front wall of the box portion by a distance substantially corresponding to the thickness (T) of the blank.
 2. A container according to claim 1, wherein the lid portion comprises a lid front wall and a lid flap depending from the lid front wall along an edge fold line, the lid flap being folded inward towards the inner surface of the front lid wall, the first magnetic material being applied on the outer surface of the lid flap.
 3. A container according to claim 1, wherein the first magnetic material comprises a magnetisable material.
 4. A container according to claim 1, wherein the second magnetic material comprises at least 30 percent by weight of at least one of barium ferrite, strontium ferrite, cobalt ferrite, and a rare earth cobalt.
 5. A container according to claim 1, wherein the second magnetic material has a thickness of between about 0.1 milimetres and about 0.4 milimetres.
 6. A container according to claim 1, wherein the flexible magnetic laminar material is a flexible magnetic tape or an extruded material.
 7. A container according to claim 1, wherein the first magnetic material is a magnetic print.
 8. A container according to claim 1, wherein the print has a thickness of less than about 1 to 30 micrometres.
 9. A container according to claim 1, containing a plurality of smoking articles.
 10. A method of forming a container for consumer goods, the method comprising: providing first and second laminar blanks, the first laminar blank having a thickness (T); applying a first magnetic material on the first laminar blank; applying a second magnetic laminar material on the second laminar blank; and folding the first and second laminar blanks to form first and second folded blanks, the folded blanks co-operating to form a container comprising a compartment for receiving consumer goods; inserting the second folded blank within the first folded blank, such that at least a portion of the first folded blank is moveable relative to the second folded blank between a closed position in which consumer goods cannot be removed from the compartment and an open position in which consumer goods can be removed from the compartment; wherein the first magnetic material is applied on the moveable portion and wherein the first magnetic material and the flexible magnetic laminar material are arranged to overlap when the moveable portion is in the closed position, so that the first magnetic material and the flexible magnetic laminar material form a magnetic closure that releasably retains the moveable portion in the closed position: and wherein the second magnetic material is a flexible magnetic laminar material applied on the second laminar blank before the second laminar blank is folded and received within the first folded blank, such that, in the assembled container, the outer surface of the flexible magnetic laminar material is offset from the outer surface of the first folded blank by a distance substantially corresponding to the thickness (T) of the blank.
 11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the flexible magnetic laminar material is a flexible magnetic tape.
 12. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of applying the first magnetic material on the first laminar blank comprises applying the magnetic material on the laminar blank using gravure printing, offset printing, flexographic printing, lithographic printing, screen printing, slot die coating, roll coating or reverse roll coating, knife-over-roll gravure and reverse direct gravure, wire rod coating, air-knife coating, or slot-orifice coating.
 13. A method according to claim 10, wherein the first magnetic material comprises a magnetisable material, and wherein the magnetisable material is unmagnetised during the applying step.
 14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising a step of, after the folding step, magnetising the first magnetisable material to form a permanent magnet.
 15. A method according to claim 10, further comprising a step of printing at least one ink onto the first magnetic material after the applying step. 